FASHION WEEK HIGHLIGHTS: LONDON, LONDON.

BURBERRY PRORSUM

Peplums, nipped waists,  pencil skirts, grandpa hats, tweed, bows, cropped puffer jackets and velvet were all present at the latest Burberry Prorsum show. The mix of femininity, masculinity mixed with 1940s shapes, texture and prints all sound like a hot mess but oh do they work so well together.




MOTHER OF PEARL
     
   
     

    

Addition to my list of new favourite labels is Mother of Pearl. Each season, designer Maia Norman works the collection around the work of certain artists. This collection in particular was inspired by the hallucinogenic artworks of Fred Tomaselli. Check out some of his beautiful paintings below.
I love how Maia Norman always manages to bring out the surfer girl in her with sporty elements without being overly sporty in her pieces. She still keeps it feminine with simple girly shapes and refined tailoring and beautiful eye catching prints. As I am often a heels girl, this collection makes me want to wear everything with sneakers. Especially feminine dresses and skirts.  

Images from Artnet.com



MARY KATRANTZOU

Digital print queen Mary Katrantzou gives us another spectacular  show with her signature prints. As spectacular as the show was though, I felt like I have seen it all before and it left me longing for more from Mary. The silhouettes and prints, it seemed like an extension to her SS12 collection, only in a different colour palette. Having said that, there were still some stand out pieces.

TOPSHOP UNIQUE

Topshop Unique brought an urban cool feel to the catwalk with their structured yet slouchy pieces in their Fall collection. The definite standout piece for me is this oversized waistcoat which I can see myself wearing with almost anything from skinny high waisted riding pants to wide leg pants to leather shorts.

PAUL SMITH

I'm not usually a huge fan of Paul Smith when it comes to the women's collections. He does great things for the male but when it comes to the ladies, he just doesn't quite hit the spot. This collection however, brings him closer. He's usual masculine reference does the women's collection justice this time round and as you know, I am all for the androgynous look. This outfit is the perfect. Masculine colours and style with feminine detailing and shape.

DION LEE

All images from Style.com

Our fellow Aussie, Dion Lee's first collection at London Fashion Week received  a positive reaction.   The stand out piece here for me is this dress, or is it a playsuit. Whatever it is, it is just so damn beautiful. Dion's work never fails to amaze me. He works with sheer delicate fabrics and unexpectedly manipulates it to create architectural works of art.

Honestly, I expected more from London Fashion Week. HIghlight collections stood out like a sore thumb because there were not much to compete with. Mother or Pearl, I would say was a key stand out for me, followed by Burberry Prorsum.

FASHION WEEK HIGHLIGHTS: NEW YORK, NEW YORK.

HERVE LEGER BY MAX AZARIA

I'm not usually a fan of Herve Leger and the whole bandage dress thing. Just reminds me too much of Kim Kardashian. However, this collection surprised me. It captured more of an equestrienne horse riding feel, and I liked where it was going. The leather harnesses are just amazing! Fastened around shoulders and waists,  put them on top of anything and it can make any outfit look cool. Even a bandage dress. 

PORTS 1961

Ports 1961 would have to be my new favourite label. It looks great on the runway but is still so wearable. The colour palette is so warm and makes me feel all fuzzy inside. The clean simple lines and shapes are so suitable for layering in a cold winter's day.

PREEN

Preen has taken colour blocking to a new and more exciting level. It's no longer block green with blue, hot pink with blue or maroon with red. Its now block colours with block prints. Warm colours with cool colours. I love this collection and I would wear every piece in it. 

RED VALENTINO

All images from Style.com

This is the cutest collection I have ever seen! Valentino's diffusion line, by co-designers Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chuiri is nothing short of adorable. The designers have created this cute collection on the idea of a young girl thinking about fashion, mixing something new with vintage and couture. Just looking at the back drop, I feel like dressing up in my cutest outfit, putting on my red lipstick and taking a stroll in the park while carrying my parasol. 

So I haven't blogged for a while. Sorry about that. My net has been capped for over a month and it has been driving me nuts! I have been very eager to post about fashion week. Although there are many let downs, there are also many impressive collections that I would like to share with you. Here are a few of my favourite collections from New York. I will continue to post more on London, Milan and Paris in the coming week. Enjoy!

MELBOURNE.TOPSHOP.TOP CITY.

Top - Topman. Chinos - Topman. Shoes - Nu & Nan.

It's been almost a month and I am almost a true Melbournian. Well, not exactly. I still get lost around the city every once in  awhile. And last week, I caught the wrong tram to work! However, I have managed to visit Chapel St almost once every week. I got to know the shops pretty well by now I think. One of the first things I did when I arrived was visit Topshop. It was as amazing as I had imagined. The visual merchandising and colours in the store was very inviting and easy on the eye. Topshop was amazing but Topman, was incredible! I would literally wear everything from the Topman current collection. I left holding two full Topman bags on each hand. As promised, here is my Melbourne style post. Courtesy of Topman.

FARE THE WELL, BRISBANE.

Shirt - Cue. Collared Pants - Self Made. Bag - Vintage. Pumps - Jigsaw.
All accessories - Emily Kate. Cat Eye Sunglasses - Universal.

Last week I left sunny Brisbane for the moody weather of Melbourne, but I couldn't be happier. I actually love the cold weather. I can't handle it very well, but I love it. There's something about the fresh air and cooler colours that makes me feel warm inside. However, I am still yet to experienced this type of weather in Melbourne. The only thing I have experienced so far, is just moody weather. In the mornings its freezing, early afternoon is nice, then late afternoon, is so hot - Brisbane hot! It makes it a bit hard to sort out an outfit for the day that's for sure!

To celebrate my Brisbane farewell, here's a style post for you. I made these collared pants after getting a strange request from my cousin asking for pants with collars on them. I think she was bored in class one day. I happened to come across these great collared pants from Rodarte from their fall 2011 collection but decided to make my own version. Her pants looked so awesome when I was finished with them, so I couldn't help but to make myself a pair too. 

The beautiful accessories I am wearing here, is from Emily Kate. They are so beautiful and intricate. She sources all her materials from overseas, rummaging through markets to find something different to offer. She also uses a lot of vintage recycled materials which enables her to repurpose items and creating one off pieces that would otherwise be wasted.

I hope you enjoyed my last post from Brisbane as I will be posting a Melbourne one very soon! 

CHEERS TO THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON.

Top - Reworked vintage. Bodice - Ksubi. Trousers - Reworked vintage.
Clogs - Sportsgirl. Watch - Tag Heuer. Earrings - Diva.

chinahighlights.com

They say that in 2012, we will see the end of the world, but I can only see the beginning of a great journey. I've recently scored a new job, and will be moving to Melbourne soon. So be sure to follow my journey here. 2012 will be a year of change and new adventures, and that's not just for me! After all, it is the year many people look forward to. It is the year of the Dragon. The year to excel. And it is all up to you to make things happen. Don't wait for things to drop on your lap. Go out and do something about it. Make this year the year to do it!

I wanted to celebrate the first day of 2012 with an outfit post. I haven't done one for a while and wanted to start the year off with a memorable one. Here I am wearing mostly vintage reworked pieces. The top is actually a sleepwear piece by Elle McPherson Intimates. I literally hacked it up and created a collar and lace trimming at the bottom and on the front panel. I wanted to wear it with a black bra underneath for that 'Carrie Bradshaw' look. However, it is way too sheer to pull off without looking like I was, in fact walking around in a black bra. I opted for a denim bodice by Ksubi instead. The trousers, I think was originally a men's trouser, however, I could be wrong. It was quite big so I nipped it in at the waist and made it high waisted. Hope you guys enjoy my first outfit post of 2012, in celebration of the end of 2011 and the beginning of a great year! Cheers to the year of the Dragon everyone!